Robobrew/Brewzilla Discussion

[RePete]

Thanks, I have seen that. But I don't have a dedicated brewing space. I don't want to leave it in the driveway overnight, and my wife won't want it on the counter overnight!

When you your brewing space invades your wrenching space...
First snow of the year. Brewing an Arrogant Bastard clone today.

 

[DuncB]

@RePete

Stubby little tube on the tap, do you use that for transfer? As it's getting cold there I have fitted some pipe insulation onto the recirc tubing before the valve and also a piece round to the point it goes into the kettle, held on with some cable ties. Just keeps it that bit warmer and also made a " tea cosy " for the lid.
Sounds like a good recipe to lay down though, we're heading into summer so I'm planning a hefeweizen.

 

[RePete]

@RePete

Stubby little tube on the tap, do you use that for transfer? As it's getting cold there I have fitted some pipe insulation onto the recirc tubing before the valve and also a piece round to the point it goes into the kettle, held on with some cable ties. Just keeps it that bit warmer and also made a " tea cosy " for the lid.
Sounds like a good recipe to lay down though, we're heading into summer so I'm planning a hefeweizen.

Yeah. It's just enough to reach over to the mouth of my fermenter. But not so long as to drag on the ground when sitting on the floor.

I've done a series of lagers recently. Wanted to brew something with more body and bite for the holidays.

 

[DuncB]

@RePete
I've always used the recirc pump for transfer, never used the tap except in reverse for my whirlpool, I've removed the tap now and have a 1/2 inch ball lock in place for the whirlpool.

 

[IanJ]

For those of you 35L brewers who appreciate regularly brewing higher gravity 8%+ ABV/~18lb 5gal batches, what's your process like? Reiterated mash or using a couple lbs of DME in place of base grain?

If reiterated, is it as simple as pulling the malt pipe, keeping the brewzilla at mash temp, emptying the pipe and filling with another batch of grain, recirculating for another hour and then sparging to reach target volume? Or would sparging the first mash be ideal so mash 2 is full volume more or less?

 

[GoodTruble]

I've done a few big beers (over 10%) in the 35L. The methods I used were reiterated mash (just remove the center pipe, put in a stainless bolt, and biab inside the malt pipe. Then pull first grains to dunk in another pot/kettle with some other strike water, and add second grains in a second bag).

I also did a couple by just pulling grains, dunking them in a separate pot/kettle with strike water, and then mixing 5+ Lbs of DME in the second kettle and then combining that back into the main wort.

Both approaches worked great with efficiency well above 75%.

 

[DuncB]

When I did a high gravity beer in my Robobrew 35 I mashed as much as I could first off. It was nearly brimming, then I sparged to the gravity I wanted, then lifted malt pipe out and rested it over a plastic brew bucket and sparged to get the mash volume for the remaining grain into the bucket. Then dumped that grain and added in the remainder and repeated the mash and mashed out that one.
If you have separate boilers you can decant from robobrew into the boiler boil the first lot whilst sparging and mashing the second lot. That way I managed to get 20 + litres of high gravity wort.
Soon after I upgraded to a Guten 70 and that's easier but I still end up partigyling the grain after a full volume mash no sparge for high gravity ales.

 

[GoodTruble]

Yeah, I was really hoping to do my first partigyle brew today, but alas, it did not work out.

 

[Elric]

The methods I used were reiterated mash (just remove the center pipe, put in a stainless bolt, and biab inside the malt pipe. Then pull first grains to dunk in another pot/kettle with some other strike water, and add second grains in a second bag).

Question for you as I have seen several people mention the stainless bolt in place of the center pipe… why??? You are using a bag which is already much finer than the screen at the bottom of malt pipe, so what is covering this hole doing? Are you afraid of part of the bag sucking down and tearing in the threadings? Is there something else I'm missing?

 

[DuncB]

@Elric I'm wondering if brew in the bag meaning no sparge and using the malt pipe as the " biab ". Hence you would need to block that hole up as it's no bag but BIAB.
Or am I over analysing?

 

[GoodTruble]

I meant actually using a nylon bag inside the malt pipe. That makes it easy to pull the first set of grains if you are doing a reiterated mash.

And yeah, I would just worry the grains and bag would get sucked through the hole a bit without the bolt, and if the bag tore, you would then lose containment within the malt pipe.

 

[RePete]

Stubby little tube on the tap, do you use that for transfer?

I use gravity for all my transfers.

 

[IanJ]

Thanks for the tips all, I'll have to do some testing once my space is set up. I may just end up using my cooler for mashing anything over capacity to make it a faster brew day, or go with some extract in place of 2-row if it's only for a smaller gravity bump like hitting ~8% abv.

Wonder if a taller malt pipe would be a good upgrade for them to develop? Considering they've already got the scary boil extension... but an extra few inches just for the grain, or at the very least without handle holes low enough to allow grain getting through. In addition to the plugged/bottom with no hole.

Maybe that would just be too tall/top heavy and unsafe? Or I guess water volume would still be a problem with any realistic ratio.

 

[RePete]

I did a batch with 21lbs of grain in my 35L unit last year. It was a Russian Imperial Stout. I posted a picture of in the recipe forum.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...mpetition-category-winner.238807/post-8924552

 

[GoodTruble]

In the past two months, I did an all grain strong scottish ale with an OG of 1.095 using reiterated mash, and strong belgian with an OG of 1.10 by just adding 6 lbs of DME after a 9 lbs grain mash. Both produced worked out well.

 

[DuncB]

I use gravity for all my transfers.

Right, I'm using Fermentasaurus which sits in a frame so that has an opening at the top that is higher than the robobrew top so i'd need quite a tower for a tap fill on that.

 

[IanJ]

I did a batch with 21lbs of grain in my 35L unit last year. It was a Russian Imperial Stout. I posted a picture of in the recipe forum.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...mpetition-category-winner.238807/post-8924552

Wow, that's just a little bit full, ha! I wonder if there's a better tape solution, or a rubber gasket that can be plugged in during mash, something more sanitary and heat tolerant.


As for my future brewing, I'm thinking DME may be the better solution for all this, especially for something like a strong stout where it would be hidden by the alcohol... but haven't used that stuff for anything but yeast starters in probably 10 years. I remember it tasting bad, or at the very least my beginner homebrewing techniques were so bad that maybe it was more about that and not the extract itself?

Either way, "reverting" back to relying on extract bothers me equally as much as potentially ruining the taste, aroma and SRM of a beer because of it. I love making NEIPA's and getting a dumper due to 3lbs of DME after all that work would be super upsetting.

 

[Elric]

Thanks for clearing up the question on the bolt GoodTruble. While I don't necessarily always follow it, I can appreciate the err on the side of caution approach.

 

[JohnSand]

IanJ, my early extract efforts were mediocre or poor too. I've been brewing AG for eight years, but in the last couple I'll do an occasional extract batch to save time. The results are good, other brewers can't tell the difference. My first Brewzilla batch had low efficiency (60%). I added some boiled and cooled DME to bring it up. I'll post my results.

 

[IanJ]

Great, thank you!

I'm expecting my first few brews to be semi-failures as well, with the learning curve of mashing in this thing. Also Brewfather is generating some odd numbers and I'm not sure what to expect as a result. It's just unfortunate that in order to make it over ~7% ABV you essentially have to do a double mash or use extract. And for that lower end "high gravity" beer, it seems like a huge waste of time for a 2+ hour mash. Maybe I'll just have to work my favorite 16lb malt bills down to 6% alcohol versions and my liver will thank me... but my tastebuds may not.

Wish I could have justified the extra $200 for the 65L having had the foresight about what I actually planned to brew with it, oh well. Maybe in 10 years when I upgrade

 

[DuncB]

You could make less beer at the higher gravities. That will give you an excuse to brew and learn more often.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Great, thank you!

I'm expecting my first few brews to be semi-failures as well, with the learning curve of mashing in this thing. Also Brewfather is generating some odd numbers and I'm not sure what to expect as a result. It's just unfortunate that in order to make it over ~7% ABV you essentially have to do a double mash or use extract. And for that lower end "high gravity" beer, it seems like a huge waste of time for a 2+ hour mash. Maybe I'll just have to work my favorite 16lb malt bills down to 6% alcohol versions and my liver will thank me... but my tastebuds may not.

Wish I could have justified the extra $200 for the 65L having had the foresight about what I actually planned to brew with it, oh well. Maybe in 10 years when I upgrade

You may surprise yourself. My first all grain was a IIPA and is still one of the best beers I’ve made and it went very well in competition.

I do have the 65L. I couldn’t make beer in the 35L as I already struggle with the 65. I don’t see any downside to just getting the 65 as it’s so much more versatile. But I mostly do big beers, so it suits my situation. Just did a Barley Wine with 13kg of malt, so I had to do a reiterated mash that took 3 hours, but I got 65% efficiency out of it. Then a 3 hour boil. Brew day was 10 hours, but I love it all. It’s a beer I’ll still be drinking in 4 or 5 years, so a few extra hours on brew day means nothing.

 

[DuncB]

Which efficiency?

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Mash efficiency

 

[DuncB]

@Cloud Surfer Thanks I'll update after my next big grain bill. How many litres did you get into the fermenter and at what gravity just for my plans / expectations.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

@Cloud Surfer Thanks I'll update after my next big grain bill. How many litres did you get into the fermenter and at what gravity just for my plans / expectations.

I ended up with 23L in the fermenter. OG was 1.110 and the Mangrove Jack M42 got it to FG 1.021 in 5 days, so that’s 13% ABV. I mashed at 64C, which is a couple of C cooler than I’ve been mashing my RIS and I got about 4 points lower FG than I normally would. Something I might consider for my next RIS.

This is going to be my first attempt at bulk conditioning on bourbon barrel staves. So I’m keen to see how it turns out.

 

[WildCardBrewing]

I've skimmed most of this thread. I'm trying to decide between the 35L and the 65L. I plan on doing mostly 5 gallon batches but like the idea of being able to do bigger beers. Does the 65L work well on 5 gallon batches? I'm coming from a typical 3 vessel propane setup.

 

[RePete]

I've skimmed most of this thread. I'm trying to decide between the 35L and the 65L. I plan on doing mostly 5 gallon batches but like the idea of being able to do bigger beers. Does the 65L work well on 5 gallon batches? I'm coming from a typical 3 vessel propane setup.

When I bought my 35L, the 65 wasn’t available yet. I probably would have gone that route if it was. The 35 is fine for 15-16lb grain bills. And really, it’s easier to manage. I set the unit to a height where it can drain into my fermenter, but I can still stand and lift the grain pipe easily enough. So, at this point I’m not compelled to buy the bigger unit.

 

[DuncB]

@WildCardBrewing
I have a guten 70 which is basically the same. I regularly normal gravity brews of about 5 gallons in that, yesterday did a 25 litre ( to fermenter ) 5 points bitter clone. OG 1043 I find it works well. Much easier this volume than trying a 25 litre batch in the old robobrew 35 which was brimming at the start of boil.

 

[Sammy86]

I've skimmed most of this thread. I'm trying to decide between the 35L and the 65L. I plan on doing mostly 5 gallon batches but like the idea of being able to do bigger beers. Does the 65L work well on 5 gallon batches? I'm coming from a typical 3 vessel propane setup.

The golden rule of brewing, when in doubt go bigger. I'm a 65L owner and wouldn't go any other way. You can do 5, 10 and 15 gallon batches (with ferm cap).

Ive done 5 and 12 gallon batches regularly and it handles both extremely well! For the extra 200 bones it's worth IMO.